From Stockton South, to Rochester and Strood, voters across the political spectrum are united in the belief that it's wrong for the NHS to be part of an American trade deal. It's time for the Prime Minister to listen. Britain won't be fooled by vague assurances over the NHS. The only way to ensure our NHS is protected from this trade deal is to remove it from these talks entirely. It's time for the Prime Minister to show some backbone. Cameron must use his veto and exempt the NHS from this deal.

The £700million 'winter crisis funding" the Government is throwing at the problem is too little, too late. It is intended to avert political embarrassment in the run up to the election. Sadly it's unlikely to have much impact on the conditions for patients or staff in our A&Es this winter.

Most of what costs the bulk of our spending on the welfare state - and the part whose cost is rising as the population ages - are the things that nearly everyone benefits from as they move through the life cycle - schools, the NHS and pensions, on top of child benefits and tax credits for families when they have children.

In 130 pages of the Autumn Statement the Chancellor covered, as he was right to do, every major public sector programme: but there was one significant omission. A programme which now costs 8% of GDP - the National Health Service. Apart from the commitment to ring-fencing there was no single line in the whole report dedicated to the NHS.